Deciphering seed labels
Choosing seed for our gardens is usually pretty simple and straightforward.
Typically, each seed package has a beautiful photograph or drawing of the kind of plant that we hope to eventually see in our gardens, if we do everything right and Mother Nature co-operates. Both the common and varietal names of the seed are always well displayed so that we can easily identify — and hopefully remember from one year to the next — which plants performed well.
However, there are often a couple of terms on the labels of many seed packages that can cause a bit of consternation with gardeners. One is ‘Hybrid’ and the other is ‘GMO free’. Hybrid has adorned seed packages for a long time but GMO free is a relative newcomer. I don’t believe that either term is particularly well understood by many gardeners.
So here is bit of primer.
A BIT OF SCIENCE
GMO is an acronym for a genetically modified organism so GMO free implies no human has tinkered with the seed’s genes. GMO free is so common on many of today’s seed labels I’ve pretty much become oblivious to it.
Still, every time I see GMO free on the label it irritates me. GMO is a meaningless term, scientifically speaking. For thousands of years, humans have been selecting plants and either intentionally or unintentionally crossbreeding them. So one could argue that most of the food we eat is genetically modified.
Of course, when seed companies put GMO free on their labels they are really referring to something properly called recombinant DNA technology. Yes, it’s a bit of a mouthful, but it is the correct term for what GMO free is really implying.
Recombinant DNA technology means that the seed-producing company has not spliced the genes of one species into the genes of another species. A common example of gene splicing is when breeders take bacterial DNA that kills, say, a cropmunching caterpillar and splices it into the genes of a crop like cotton thereby protecting the plant from the pest.
Granted, you likely won’t be growing cotton in your backyard anytime soon, but neither do you have to worry about any kind of DNA splicing in your yard because there aren’t any garden seeds in Canada that are the result of recombinant DNA technology. The sale of ‘spliced’ seed for home gardens is, quite simply, illegal so the trumpeting of GMO free it is really just a bit of clever marketing by seed companies.
Mother Nature does a bang-up job of gene splicing all on her own. Many of the variegated plants that we enjoy in our gardens are the result of viral DNA being spliced from one organism (viruses) into plants without any human involvement.
F1 HYBRID
F1 Hybrid seed may sound a bit like it is the result of gene splicing but it’s not. F1 refers to the seed being First Filial which is plant breeder’s lingo for first generation. An example that I often use when describing and defining hybrids is the breeding of F1 hybrid sweet corn. The genesis of these hybrids comes from growers and consumers alike who have specific expectations of, in this case, sweet corn.
Let’s say commercial growers and gardeners on the northern Prairies want a sugary, sweet corn that matures quickly enough to be harvestable before our early fall frosts.
Breeders might select two varieties of corn: one that produces seed yielding mostly early maturing corn yet has rather starchy kernels, and another variety that is mostly late maturing corn but yields beautifully sweet kernels.
Breeders might select these two varieties and inbreed each one to ensure that they are highly uniform in their desirable traits. After a half-dozen years or so, the two inbred varieties are allowed to cross-pollinate, and if everything goes as planned a new, early maturing, sweet kernelled corn is the result.
When gardeners buy a package of hybrid corn, just about every single seed will be virtually identical in performance compared to non-hybrid corn.
Still, don’t forget that while many hybrid plants have excellent traits and provide exceptional value, there are many nonhybrid varieties of plants that are truly outstanding. For example, while there is an arm’s length list of fantastic hybrid tomato varieties, there is also a wealth of nonhybrid heirloom tomatoes, many of which I absolutely love!
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Don’t be intimidated by all of the label information. Talk to the experts in your garden centre and friends and family who have tried specific varieties so that you can develop a good shortlist of what might work in your garden.
Also, do not be afraid to try some new varieties each. As I tell many gardeners, it’s highly likely that they have yet to discover their favourite seed varieties whether they are hybrids, heirlooms or even GMO free.